


What Makes a Heart Tick

by HorseCrazyWriter76



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Food, Gen, Hurt and comfort, automaton!Roman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorseCrazyWriter76/pseuds/HorseCrazyWriter76
Summary: Roman, an entertainment automaton, is pulled out of his old life when a young man named Patton takes it upon himself to keep him company on his birthday.
Kudos: 7
Collections: Sanders Sides 2020 Gift Exchange





	1. Happy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marinia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marinia/gifts).



Roman took his final bows at the end of the performance. The small audience clapped, stirring something that didn’t quite sit right in his steel body, and the curtains closed. Roman straightened with a gentle whir of gears and walked off stage. He heard the director step on the the apron and start talking to the audience. 

Roman stopped between the legs. Soon the after-show tour for the handful of people who paid to see backstage would begin. It was always nice to see fans.

Roman heard the director herd the crowd out the door, then start explaining the rules of the tour. Roman took his cue to walk back near center stage among his scenery. He paused to adjust the simple-but-beautiful costume that hid his inner workings and waited, as 5 starry-eyed fans followed the director behind the curtain.

“And here you see Roman. He’s an automaton, the finest one on this side of the Atlantic,” the director said.

“How old is he?” a boy, or maybe a man, wearing a light gray coat that seemed like it had originally belonged to a father or older brother and tailored to a more-current fashion asked.

“Roman’s been in motion for 4 years, as of tomorrow,” the director said.

“Do you have any other automatons?” the same person asked.

“No, he’s the only one,” the director said.

“Does he get lonely?”

The director gave a little laugh, “My, you ask a lot of questions, hm? Let’s move along.”

The tour moved on, leaving Roman in the dim glow of the gas lights, as they moved on. 

*****

The next day was a Sunday. The director went to church and left Roman in the dark. Roman turned his head, as the door opened. He couldn’t quite see who it was, but it certainly wasn’t the director.

“Good dawning to you, friend, or shall I say fiend?” Roman called, brandishing a sword at the intruder.

The intruder squeaked, and Roman saw the same light gray coat and cap that he had yesterday.

“You came here yesterday,” Roman said, letting the dull blade fall by his side, “Ah! This place is in no state for a customer to see! I’m not even in costume!”

“Well, is it in a state for a friend to see?” the person asked.

“I must confess, I do not know what you mean,” Roman said, quickly grabbing his costume and putting the first layer on.

“Well, I was just thinking that it’s your birthday, and no one should be alone on their birthday. Oh, but I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Patton.”

“My name is Roman,” he replied, straightening his bow tie and finally turning around to see his visitor, “But don’t humans go to church on Sundays?”

“I don’t,” Patton said, “But I do like to go to friends.”

Roman’s gears whirred, as he took in what Patton meant, “Well, then, what would you do with your friend?”

“Well, because it’s your birthday, you get to decide!” Patton said.

“Well, then, I suppose we shall have to go on an adventure for your birthday.”

“No, silly, it’s your birthday! The director said you’re turning 4,” Patton giggled. 

“Oh, then, I suppose it is. You’ll have to show me how to celebrate, for I’ve never had a birthday before.”

“You’ve never celebrated your birthday?”

“No.”

“Well, that won’t do! Hm, I’d say we should go out for lunch, but everything is closed and you can’t eat anyways. What if we go, and you can show me all the spots that make you happy?” Patton asked.

“Happy? I’ve never heard that word before. And I’ve lived my whole life with the director in this stage, so I don’t think I can show you anywhere the director hasn’t brought you,” Roman said.

“You don’t know what happy is,  _ and  _ you’ve never left this stage? Oh, no, I’ll have to show you all the spots that make me happy, then. Come on, or we won’t be back until after sundown!”

Patton and Roman ran out of the stage room, barely pausing to close the door behind them. The sun hurt Roman’s eyes, and the uneven roads kept him from kept him from ever truly getting his balance, although he was balanced enough to keep up with Patton, as he ran down the street and in to a plaza.

The plaza was mostly empty, except for a couple walking past. They were too deep in conversation to notice Roman and Patton.

“This plaza is better during the week. There’s musicians that play over there, and that shop sells the best sweet bread, and that shop is owned by my friend’s family, and he shows me how to make little machines. Do you think they made you?” Patton asked, pointing around the plaza.

“I don’t remember my creation. I just remember being turned on for the first time backstage,” Roman said.

“Huh, well, they’re really smart. Here, look,” Patton said, fishing a pocket watch out of his coats and flipping it open. It was in the shape of a heart, and it ticked along to the same beat as Roman’s own mechanical heart. Roman slowly took it in his hand, feeling the steel, the same material as his hand, and listening to it tick. A lightness rose up in his chest, and he smiled.

“Logan likes to talk me through how it works and how they make the steel, it’s something called the Bessemer process, I think? Or that might have been one they made before. But I think he’d like meeting you,” Patton said.

“I think I should like to meet him, too.”

“That’s be so fun! Alright, we should go if we want to have time to see everywhere,” Patton said, and he started running again.

Roman followed. He was getting more used to the way that the streets curved and bumped, and he didn’t feel quite as off-kilter as he had before. This time, Patton lead him down a small trail in to a glen. He stopped a little ways in to the tree cover in the center of the tiny valley.

“This is the glen. No one ever comes here, but it’s a great place to hide,” Patton said, “I only take my best friends down here.”

Roman felt a lightness in his chest at being called Patton’s best friend.

“Patton, I’ve been thinking about the word happy. I feel light and free, and I think that’s what happy means.”

“You’re be-glen-ing to see it!” Patton grinned.

“I don’t understand.”

“I made a pun, get it? Beginning and glen, be-glen-ing!”

Roman laughed, as he understood, “Allow me, I cannot be-leaf I didn’t get it sooner.”

Patton nodded and laughed back, snorting a little with the force of his laughter.

Patton led Roman on and on through different parts of the city. Their final destination was the very theater where they started, and Patton said it made him happy because it was the first place he remembered seeing a performance, and it reminded him of his new friend.

“I guess I should go before the director gets back,” Patton said, walking towards the door.

“Wait,” Roman said.

Patton stopped and turned back around.

“I’ve been happy all day with you, and I don’t feel quite that happy backstage. Would you mind a favor for a friend? I think I will be happy to only perform for you.”

“Of course you can come home with me,” Patton said, and Roman only looked back once to shut the door.


	2. Gratitude

Rain was still falling by the time Patton woke up. Patton made quick work of getting dressed, then turned to Roman.

“Good morning!”

“Good morning, dear friend,” Roman replied.

Patton laughed, “Do you like the rain?”

“Yes, it is quite melodious.”

Patton hummed. “I’ve always liked the sound of falling rain, too. Well, what do you want to do today?”

“I fear I cannot go out today. The rain will rust my gears.”

“That’s okay, you can borrow my coat, and I bet my friend, Virgil, has a spare coat. He’s always making more things than he needs. What if we go to the square I showed you last morning, and I can get a bun, and you can hear the musicians, and then we go to Virgil’s house?” Patton asked.

“That sounds marvelous,” Roman said.

“Great! Here, put this on,” Patton said, handing Roman his gray coat.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to make you cold,” Roman said, holding it delicately.

“I won’t be cold, silly! I’ll wear my other coat,” Patton said, producing a black coat that seemed a bit newer than the one Roman was holding.

“If you insist,” Roman said, putting on the coat.

Patton beamed at him and put on his own coat before coaxing his hair mostly in to his hat, grabbing an umbrella, and leading the way out on to the street.

True to Patton’s words, a group of musicians were tuning their instruments under the protection of an open-mouthed tent. Roman stood and watched while Patton ran to a shop and returned with a sweet bun in his hands.

“Do you want me to hold the umbrella?” Roman asked, seeing Patton struggle to balance the umbrella against the wind with one hand.

“Yes, thank you!” Patton said. Roman took the umbrella, and Patton quickly began to eat the bun while walking out of the square.

Patton was almost finished by the time they came to a small house. He paused outside to eat the rest of his bun.

“Alright, this is Virgil’s house,” Patton said, pointing with a honey-covered finger, “You better knock instead of me.”

Roman knocked on the door, and a person promptly opened it.

“Hi, Virgil!” Patton chirped.

“Hi yourself. Who’s this?” the person, who seemed to be about the same age as Patton, asked. He had a pin cushion strapped on to his wrist, and his black coat seemed to be almost brand-new.

“Virgil, this is Roman. Roman, this is Virgil,” Patton replied.

“Greetings!” Roman said.

“Hi. Again. Uh, come inside before you get cold,” Virgil said, stepping out of the doorway.

Roman and Patton stepped in to a neat little front room. A dress form held a half-completed dress of some kind, and a sewing machine took center stage.

“Oh, your sewing machine came!” Patton said.

“You say that as if Logan could give up the challenge to match one of these suckers,” Virgil laughed, “And it’s Monday. Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“But school is so boring now that you and Logan are gone,” Patton stuck out his tongue.

“Not that you liked it that much better last year. Have you really not made any more friends?” Virgil asked.

“Um, yeah?”

Virgil shot Patton a suspicious look.

“It’s Janus,” Patton squeaked.

“Oh,” Virgil said coldly, “Well, why did you come here anyways? It can’t just be to skip school.”

“Oh, yeah, Roman needs a jacket,” Patton said.

Virgil turned a keen eye towards Roman, “Yeah, I was wondering why he was wearing yours. I’ll make a deal: I make Roman a coat today, free of charge, and _you_ go to school.”

“Oh, but don’t you have other work to do first?” Patton said.

“Mrs. Laney has never touched a sewing needle except to buy a sewing machine to show off her wealth. She has no idea how long it takes to hand-sew her a dress, and she won’t notice one extra day,” Virgil brushed him off, “Now get to class before the teacher notices you’re not there.”

“Fine. Have a good day, you two!” Patton said, then slipped through the door.

Virgil waited for a moment, then walked over the window and looked around the street. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to Roman.

“So, Roman, right? Take that coat off, set it here, and I’ll take your measurements,” Virgil snapped in to business mode. Roman did as he instructed, then held still as Virgil took his measurements. Virgil began messing with the machine, then started feeding it bits of fabric. They chatted a bit, as Virgil put together the coat, cursed at the machine, had Roman put on the coat, and made adjustments.

“There, try that on,” Virgil said, sticking the needle back in to his pin cushion. Roman picked up the coat and put it on. It fit like a glove. It was made of a light wool dyed a muted red, which Roman decided right then was his favorite color.

Virgil walked around Roman, then nodded, “Looks good, does it feel good?”

“It feels marvelous!” Roman replied. A feeling welled up in him, close to happiness, but warmer and heavier.

“Great. What time is it?” Virgil mumbled, pulling a pocket watch in the shape of a storm cloud. “Jesus, I missed lunch. Do you...I gues you probably don’t eat?”

“Oh, no, no stomach in here,” Roman laughed, tapping lightly on his stomach through the coat.

“Well, um, I’ll be right back?” Virgil said, then disappeared through a door deeper in to the house. Roman sat back down and looked out the window. It had stopped raining sometime earlier, but the pavement was still littered with puddles. Just as he was thinking about this, Virgil returned.

“I’m back,” Virgil announced, holding a sandwich. He ate quickly, then started working on the dress on the dress form. Roman and Virgil talked chatting a little, as he worked. 

A bell chimed somewhere in the city, right as a knock came on the door.

“And that would be Patton,” Virgil said, “Can you get it?”

“Of course,” Roman said, standing up.

“Thanks.”

Roman let Patton in to the house.

“Oo, look at you!” Patton said, “Thanks, Virgil!”

“No problem,” Virgil said.

“I know you said free of charge, but do you want me to at least pay for the materials?” Patton asked.

“Nah, you payed me in knowing my friend’s getting an education. Now shoo, talking takes too much energy.”

Patton laughed, “I love you, Virgil.”

“Bold words to say to someone holding a 2-inch-long needle,” Virgil called after them.

Patton laughed, as they walked out of the house.

“Patton?” Roman asked once they were a little ways off.

“Mhm?”

“I was thinking, I felt something close to happiness when Virgil gave me this coat. Is there a word for that feeling?”

“Like gratitude?”

“Gratitude. Yes, that feels right,” Roman said, grateful for his new friends.


	3. Curiosity

Patton awoke early in the morning, when the sun was starting to lighten the horizon, but the streetlamps were still needed to see clearly.

“Good morning,” Roman said.

“Good morning,” Patton yawned, peering out from under the covers, “Mm, it’s too early to get out of bed.”

Roman laughed softly, “Do you have school today, too?”

“Don’t remind me,” Patton groaned, getting out of bed, “I wish I could get Logan to go to school for me. He actually  _ liked  _ school. Can you believe it?”

“Well, I never went to school, so I can’t say.”

“Lucky,” Patton wrinkled his nose, “Logan would probably love to meet you. I can drop you at his house and have time to get breakfast and go to school.”

“That sounds marvelous,” Roman replied.

Patton quickly got ready for the day, and the pair headed out in to the streets. They went in to the square, and Patton pulled open the door of a shop labeled “The Mcconald’s Mechanical Marvels.”

The inside of the shop was lined with all sorts of small machines. While mostly wind-up toys, Roman spotted more practical machines, too, including the sewing machine a young man was tinkering with behind a desk.

The young man looked up when they walked in and flipped a small set of lenses away from his glasses.

“Good morning,” the young man said, “What brings you here so early, Patton?”

“I was just wondering if you’d like to meet Roman.”

“Am I correct in presuming Roman is the automaton next to you?”

“Mhm!”

“Well, good morning, Roman. Patton, school will start soon.”

“I know, I know. Can he stay with you today?” Patton asked.

“I don’t see why not.”

“Great! I’ll come back afterschool!” Patton said, and walked out of the shop.

“You’ll have to excuse me, I wasn’t expecting any guests. There’s an extra stool back here if you’d like to sit down, but that’s all I can offer you,” Logan said, then turned back to the sewing machine.

“I don’t mind at all,” Roman said, taking a seat behind the desk.

Roman watched, as Logan added a gear on to the machine, then cranked the handle a couple times, staring at the mechanisms. He stopped turning it and replaced the gear he had added with a larger one.

“May I ask what you’re doing?” Roman asked.

“Yes. I am attempting to adjust this sewing machine to do larger stitches.”

Roman was confused. He didn’t know much about sewing, but he knew that smaller stitches were stronger than larger ones. A strange feeling set on him, at Logan’s statement.

“Why would you want larger stitches?” he asked.

“I’m doing it as a proof of concept. I know I can replicate the machine nearly-perfectly, but I’m adjusting it to ensure I understand how it works. I also have more large gears than small ones,” Logan replied, cranking the handle again. He seemed satisfied with what the saw and began adding a new cluster of mechanisms to the machine.

“You seem very smart.”

“Thank you,” Logan replied, tightening a gear, then feeding the machine cloth and thread. He made a short line of stitching and pulled out another scrap of cloth.

“Perfect,” Logan said, holding out the two scraps for Roman to see. The first scrap of cloth had 1 stitch for every 3 stitches the second scrap had.

“I suppose now I can advertise sewing machines as part of my stock,” Logan said, although he didn’t seem happy with the prospect.

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Logan said, pulling a cloth from his pocket and cleaning the lenses of his glasses.

“If you don’t mind me asking, who made you?” Logan asked.

“I don’t know.”

Logan hummed, “Do you mind if I ask you questions about your mechanisms? I’ve never met an automaton, and I’m rather curious.”

“I’ve never heard the word curious before,” Roman said.

“Curious: An adjective meaning marked by the desire to investigate and learn,” Logan said, “You seem rather curious, yourself.”

Roman nodded slightly, “Would you be willing to make a trade? I’ll let you look at what’s inside my chest and you’ll teach me more words?”

“I’d like that. What words do you want to know?”

“Well, any ones I can tell you already know!”

“Then let’s start with infinitesimal: an adjective meaning immeasurably or incalculably small.”

“So would atoms be infinitesimal?” Roman asked.

“Yes. I’m surprised you know atomic theory but not the word ‘curious’.”

“Well, I can’t say that I know much more than that they are small,” Roman confessed.

“Hm. Ameliorate: A verb meaning to make better or more tolerable,” Logan moved on to the next word.

“Where did you learn these words?” Roman asked.

“I used to read the dictionary for fun while my classmates finished their work,” Logan replied with a soft smile. 

“Patton said you had fun at school.”

“Hardly, but I did like it. It was a puzzle to sort out,” Logan said, fidgeting with a tool.

“Well, would you like to look, now?” Roman asked.

“Yes,” Logan replied quickly.

Roman unbuttoned his coat and shirt, revealing most of his chest area. Logan leaned down, looking at the mechanisms inside.

“This is...quite complex,” he heard Logan say. He stayed looking for a moment longer, then straightened again. “I-Thank you. For letting me look.”

“It was my honor,” Roman replied, re-buttoning his shirt.

“How did you come by Patton?” Logan asked.

“Well, he came by me, truly. I was performing and the director let slip that it was my birthday on Sunday. Patton was so determined that I shouldn’t be alone on my birthday that he broke in to the theatre.”

“That sounds like something Patton would do,” Logan nodded, “I’m supposed to be repairing a broken typewriter. Would you like to see?”

“That would be wondrous!”

Roman spent the rest of the day watching Logan repair the typewriter. Logan talked Roman through the process, the problems the owner reported, what caused it, how to fix it, why it was a more complicated fix than it seemed, here’s what this part does, this is what that part does, all the way until Logan screwed the case back over the top and looked to the time.

“Ah, I seem to have worked through lunch again,” Logan sighed. 

“Virgil did that yesterday, too,” Roman pointed out

“Ah, yes. All three of us are prone to forgetting to eat.”

“All three of us?”

“Me, Virgil, and Patton,” Logan clarified, just as the bell to the shop rang. “Hello, Patton.”

“Hey, Logan! Hey, Roman! How are you two?” Patton asked cheerily.

“Marvelous!” Roman replied.

“Very well, and you?” Logan asked.

“Still bored from school,” Patton sighed.

“Well, I forgot to eat lunch, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“You better be taking better care of yourself than that!”

“I am, Patton, I promise,” Logan called back.

Patton laughed, “Well, should we get home?”

“After you, my friend,” Roman replied.

Patton giggled, and led the way home.


	4. Comfort

“Are you sure you’ll be alright here alone?” Patton asked one more time.

“Yes, I will,” Roman responded again.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Patton said, although it mostly seemed to assure himself, then left. 

Roman waited for a moment after Patton left, then looked around the room. He started by making Patton’s bed, as he had seen Patton do himself, then sat back at the desk and started daydreaming, while he waited for Patton to come back.

*****

Roman looked up when he heard the door downstairs opening. It was only noon, far too soon for Patton to come back.

The door to Patton’s room was slammed open. An angry looking young man with a nasty scar across his face held Patton’s hand. Patton was hiding his face in his sleeve and shaking. The angry man scanned the room, saw Roman, shoved Patton in, and dragged Roman out before shutting the door.

Roman pulled himself away from the angry man’s grip. “Who are you, and what have you done with Patton?” he demanded.

The man looked him up and down. “I’m Janus. I didn’t do anything to Patton besides bring him home. He’s crying because of some idiots who couldn’t keep their mouths shut,” he sighed, then added in a mutter, “idiots who got what was coming for them.”

Roman looked down and saw a bit of blood on Janus’s gloved knuckles.

“Now it isn’t time for you to answer my questions. Who are you and how did you get in to Patton’s room?”

“My name is Roman, and Patton let me in,” Roman huffed.

“Roman. I  _ don’t _ recognize that. You  _ aren’t _ the automaton he’s been talking about.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”

“ _ Don’t  _ stay afraid,” Janus huffed.

“How can I do that when you won’t explain yourself?”

Janus looked Roman up and down again, then sighed, “I  _ don’t _ speak in negatives.”

“You didn’t a moment ago.”

“I  _ do _ do it when it’s important.”

“Well, what can I do to help Patton?” Roman dropped the subject so that he could focus on his friend.

“I  _ do _ have a better idea than you do. I  _ do _ know how to comfort him beyond getting him away from the idiots,” Janus said.

“I’m going to go in there and help him,” Roman decided. Janus made no move to stop, as Roman opened the door.

Patton was curled up on his bed. He had taken off his coat, and now it lay unceremoniously on the floor.

“Hello, dearest friend,” Roman said.

Patton mumbled something in to his pillow.

“I didn’t catch that.”

“Mm, doesn’t matter,” Patton mumbled, barely any louder.

“Well, mattering or not, you’re clearly unhappy now, and I’d like to help,” Roman declared. 

Patton halfway rolled over to mumble, “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course,” Roman said, sitting down on the bed and opening his arms. Patton crawled over and buried his face in the thin fabric of Roman’s shirt. Roman gently closed his arms around his friend. Patton clung to Roman as if the world would slip away if he ever let go, so Roman returned the strength in a silent promise that he would never leave.

Roman felt the bed shift, as Janus sat down on the other side of Patton. Patton shifted so that he could hold on to both of his friends at once, squishing Janus and Roman together. Patton stared sniffling, startling Roman, but Janus only held on to Patton tighter, so Roman followed suit.

They sat there for a long time before Patton stopped crying and sat up slowly, wiping his face clean.

“Are you feeling better?” Roman asked softly.

“Mm, yeah. Thanks,” Patton replied.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Janus asked.

“I don’t think it would help. It’s just kids being kids.”

“Kids being idiotic  _ isn’t  _ more accurate,” Janus said.

Patton gave a half-hearted giggle, “Idiotic is an idiotic word.” 

Far-away church bells rang once. Roman remembered Logan’s comment about how he, Virgil, and Patton were all likely to work through lunch.

“Have you had lunch today, Patton?” Roman asked.

Janus shot him a dirty look.

“No, the...fight started before I…” Patton trailed off, looking at his hands. 

“If you’d like, I can go and get you lunch,” Roman offered.

“Would you?”

“Of course.”

“You  _ won’t  _ need money,” Janus said, then produced a small black purse and held it out to Roman. Roman took it and opened it, then closed it seeing the jumble of currency inside.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t steal any. I’ll know,” Janus said seriously, his eyes boring in to Roman’s soul.

“I would never steal,” Roman said.

“Liar. You  _ haven’t  _ already stolen Patton’s heart.”

Patton laughed and pushed at Janus, who smiled back. Roman wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but he smiled and slipped away.

Roman went to the square Patton had taken him to and went to the store with the sweet buns Patton liked. Roman picked out a bun that looked like the same type Patton had gotten. He paid and barely stopped himself from running back to Patton’s house. 

Roman let himself back in to Patton’s room. Janus was sitting at the desk now, and the room was quiet.

“I’m back,” Roman broke the silence.

“Thank you,” Patton said, taking the bun, a smile breaking out on his face when he saw what it was. “You even remembered which one I got.”

“Only the best for you,” Roman replied, handing the purse back to Janus. Janus looked inside it briefly, then tucked it back in to his jacket.

“You’re the best,” Patton said, taking a bite.

“No, you’re the best,” Roman said.

Patton made a noise of dissent, but his mouth was full of the bun.

“Ah, it seems the bun agrees with Roman,” Janus said.

Patton gave a huff of laughter, and all was well again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated.


End file.
